Tatum Bell Leaves Mall Job for NFL

Former Denver Broncos' and Detroit Lions' running back Tatum Bell has returned to the Denver Broncos this week, signed by the team as a desperate measure after three of the team's four running backs are done for the season and the fourth is injured, but could return at some point this year.

Bell, who was cut by the Lions' and proceeded to steal the bags of the guy who took his spot, was out of football and working at a Mobile Solutions store in the Aurora Mall in Aurora, CO.  I really wish I was joking.

After initially reading an article that he was working at the Mobile Solutions store, I simply assumed that he owned it.  Plenty of athletes have outside businesses, a smart financial tactic of diversification in case their careers end prematurely (which happens all too often in the NFL).  But it wasn't until I read an article from the Denver Post that stated "just two day ago, he was a manager at Mobile Solutions."

Well, at least he was a manager.  Broncos' head coach Mike Shanahan said the team decided to bring Bell back because "he was the only one left" after the team put three others on the injured reserve.  Thankfully it seems that Bell knows he's lucky to be back in the NFL:

"I have a wife and two kids," Bell said. "I had to feed my family, so the last thing I was doing was feeling discouraged. I definitely respect the real world outside of sports. Not saying sports isn't the real world or playing football isn't real, but I have a lot more respect for people who work 9 to 5 than I ever had."

We've heard a lot over the past two seasons from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that playing in the NFL is a privilege and not a right.  With too many players acting like fools because they think they can get away with it due to their status as professional athletes in the richest league in the United States (see: Jones, Pacman; Vick, Michael), it is finally nice to see a football player acknowledge that life in the NFL may be a bit easier than life outside.